Illinois...

[SnootyHen]

This beautiful heatwave has all the ladies clucking for time in the nesting box!!! My Welsummer and Barnevelder stopped laying November 30th and now both are back. My GLW took a few weeks off and seems interested again. Even the Leghorn and Russian Orloff who rarely take a break were slacking this month. The big girls are getting their groove back, the babies are growing little combs and Wanda Beth still refuses to lay but at least she spends less time chasing the babies now that they are getting bigger. And Natasha (the other baby bully) is now the same size as they are so she's getting a little less bold with her pecking too.

And the most exciting news is no more frozen poop towers!!!

Spring is on the way!!!!

 

[jdragonwings]

I have another question for everyone. I was planning to build a 4x6 raised coop and 10x6 attached run. What I was originally wanting is a movable coop. I decided against it bc of the concern of predators digging under it. I'm wondering how serious of a concern that is? I see so many people with coops that have no under ground protection... I'm not comfortable free ranging bc although we have a fenced in yard, it's only 3' high hog wire split rail. We live in a neighborhood and our neighbors have 2 big dogs, so do the people behind us. I'd really love to be able to move the coop around so they can fertilize the grass and get some good bugs.
Also I saw one person who took hog wire and attached it at the base of the coop and laid it down in the grass all around the coop. so it was hidden in the grass and created about a 2' perimeter all around the coop to prevent dogs, etc from digging underneath the coop.
When I look into movable coops I mostly see A frames with open bottom, which wouldn't be nearly warm enough here in chicagoland... plus I'm getting 6 chickens and those A frames seem to have really small enclosed areas.

 

[Molpet]

These chicks hatched while I was in the hospital 2-14 . I was expecting blue laced but no blue in any of them . Odd .View attachment 2541967View attachment 2541968

Hatching is sure full of surprise
I had one shipped egg hatch 2 yrs ago... Out of 2 orders 10 each.... they sent a couple extras, one marked as a project Hatched white with a black feather... ended up being a dark Cornish. ...so you never know what they look like later.


Glad your feeling better

 

[BReeder!]

And the most exciting news is no more frozen poop towers!!!

Now they are melted poop mounds... I need to go out there and get the poop board cleaned today if I find the time.

 

[Faraday40]

I have another question for everyone. I was planning to build a 4x6 raised coop and 10x6 attached run. What I was originally wanting is a movable coop. I decided against it bc of the concern of predators digging under it. I'm wondering how serious of a concern that is? I see so many people with coops that have no under ground protection... I'm not comfortable free ranging bc although we have a fenced in yard, it's only 3' high hog wire split rail. We live in a neighborhood and our neighbors have 2 big dogs, so do the people behind us. I'd really love to be able to move the coop around so they can fertilize the grass and get some good bugs.
Also I saw one person who took hog wire and attached it at the base of the coop and laid it down in the grass all around the coop. so it was hidden in the grass and created about a 2' perimeter all around the coop to prevent dogs, etc from digging underneath the coop.
When I look into movable coops I mostly see A frames with open bottom, which wouldn't be nearly warm enough here in chicagoland... plus I'm getting 6 chickens and those A frames seem to have really small enclosed areas.

A tractor can work well during the day, but you need to be able to lock them up in the little coop each night. That way if something digs into the run area, there will be a predator proof latch. In winter a tractor would be tough to move. (Mine sunk into the ground and grew roots.) My main coop/run is stationary with some pavestone buried around perimeter. A predator would have to dig more than 16" down. The buried stone was done 1st and the structure was built on top.

When the weather is nice you can always use a play yard or pet fence to give chickens grass time during the day. (Unless the neighbors' dogs routinely hop the fence.) Your biggest day-time predator is a hawk, so they just need something on top.

We do this for chicks and train them to walk back & forth each day.

 

[Justso]

X2. I value a nice sturdy secure house and run, it's easy enough to throw together a simple chicken tractor. As they get older it's easier to collect them into a tractor. When they're little guys you have to do the lift and move method.

 

[Faraday40]

I would settle for NZ but really want some Flemish Giants.

That's what I want too. Our quail cage was built to hold "future" rabbits. I have yet to actually get a rabbit. The cages come in handy for a broody hen or injured bird. Last summer one cage had some quail again.

 

[jdragonwings]

A tractor can work well during the day, but you need to be able to lock them up in the little coop each night. That way if something digs into the run area, there will be a predator proof latch. In winter a tractor would be tough to move. (Mine sunk into the ground and grew roots.) My main coop/run is stationary with some pavestone buried around perimeter. A predator would have to dig more than 16" down. The buried stone was done 1st and the structure was built on top.

When the weather is nice you can always use a play yard or pet fence to give chickens grass time during the day. (Unless the neighbors' dogs routinely hop the fence.) Your biggest day-time predator is a hawk, so they just need something on top.

We do this for chicks and train them to walk back & forth each day. View attachment 2542079

Thanks for that info. That video is awesome!
So do you offer water to them while in the run (guessing no on feed bc the whole point is to forage)? And what about laying eggs? How does that work if they are confined to the run?? Sorry for all the questions, newbie here

 

[cavemanrich]

So do you offer water to them while in the run (guessing no on feed bc the whole point is to forage)? And what about laying eggs? How does that work if they are confined to the run??

Always offer water. Its not hard to keep a bowl of water in a tractor. Chickens need access to water always. Shortage of water affects their egg production also.
I would also keep a dish of feed inside tractor. You can judge how much to put in there by the amount they usually consume. Trial, and error method. You will have them there a good portion of daytime, so don't expect them to get enough nutrition from munching on grass leaves. The greens that they do consume,, benefit their dietary needs. Greens do provide supplemental calcium, and other minerals/vitamins in a natural source.
The wandering around on the lawn keeps the chickens busy scratching and such. Consider that as "HAPPY CHICKENS" environment.

 

[cavemanrich]

I would settle for NZ but really want some Flemish Giants.

If you want big, then I agree,,,,, you wont need that many then.